Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius is one of the most interesting old cities in the world. World-famous for its Old Town inscribed into the UNESCO list of the World Heritage and for its historical and religious monuments, Vilnius is a quiet, relatively small city, with the unique atmosphere of Europe as it was centuries before.

Vilnius is a city of rich cultural tradition. Throughout the centuries the city played an important role in the Lithuanian, Polish and Jewish history and culture. Interesting historical monuments of the past can be seen and visited today. Vilnius was proclaimed as European City of Culture 2009.

Vilnius has the one of the most important in Europe places of worship for the Catholic religion – The Gate of Dawn with the sacred painting of Maria.

Vilnius is also an academic city, with one of the oldest universities in the North of Europe (est.1597), city full of students and the young people.

History of VilniusVilnius has been established in the 13th century. For centuries Vilnius has been an important city in the Polish-Lithuanian Union. Until 1939 Vilnius belonged to Poland and has been essentially Polish and Jewish city. Since 1940 Vilnius was the capital of the Soviet Republic of Lithuania and since 1991 the capital of the independent Lithuania. More about Vilnius history.

Vilnius tourist attractionsThe Old Town is the main tourist attraction in Vilnius. The other attractions are: the sacred Gate of Dawn or The Sharp Gate with the Mother of Mercy painting in the chapel above, one of the most sacred paintings in Europe, the Cathedral, The Gedyminas castle, the St. Anna church built in the late gothic style and the St. Peter and Paul baroque church.